Websocket Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

1. Install the package via Composer (assuming standard Laravel package installation).
2. Publish the configuration file:

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Vendor\Package\ServiceProvider" --tag="config"
   

3. Add the following environment variables to your .env (matching the v2.1 release defaults):

   MEMCACHE_SERVER=127.0.0.1
   MEMCACHE_PORT=11211
   SESSION_PREFIX=sess_
   SESSION_EXPIRE=86400
   

4. Set your session driver to use memcached (if the package provides a driver) or configure the package to use these settings for client data caching.
5. First use case: Replace file-based sessions with memcached for multi-server setups. Confirm it works by visiting a page that writes to the session and checking that the key sess_<session_id> appears in memcached (telnet 127.0.0.1 11211 then get sess_...).

Implementation Patterns

• Session driver replacement: In config/session.php, set 'driver' => 'memcached' (or the driver name provided by the package). Point the package’s memcache_server / memcache_port config to your memcached cluster.
• Environment‑specific prefixes: Use SESSION_PREFIX to namespace sessions per environment (e.g. staging_sess_, prod_sess_) so multiple apps can share a memcached pool without collisions.
• Expiration tuning: Set SESSION_EXPIRE to match Laravel’s session.lifetime (in seconds). The package uses this value when writing to memcached. For long‑lived “remember me” sessions, consider a higher value or a separate prefix.
• Caching client data: If the package also exposes a cache store, you can use it via Cache::store('memcached') to store frequently accessed client records. Reuse the same memcache_server/memcache_port config.
• Multi‑server setups: List multiple memcached servers in memcache_server (comma‑separated if supported by the package). Use consistent hashing (default in most PHP memcached clients) to distribute keys.
• Testing: In phpunit.xml, set SESSION_DRIVER=array or mock the memcached client to avoid hitting a real server during tests.

Gotchas and Tips

• Memcached PHP extension required: Ensure ext-memcached is installed and enabled. The package will not work with the older memcache extension.
• Connection failures are silent: By default, memcached may fail silently if the server is unreachable. Add a health check or use Memcached::getStats() in a scheduled command to alert on downtime.
• Prefix collisions: The default sess_ prefix is common. Always override it in shared environments. Keys are not namespaced by Laravel automatically beyond this prefix.
• Expiration mismatch: SESSION_EXPIRE must be less than or equal to the memcached server’s -I (max item size) and -m (memory) limits. If sessions expire too early, check both the package config and Laravel’s session.lifetime.
• Config caching: After changing .env values, run php artisan config:clear (or config:cache in production). The package reads config at boot, so stale caches cause confusing behaviour.
• Debugging: Enable memcached logging (php -d memcached.debug=1) or use telnet to verify keys. The package does not provide a debug mode, so inspect raw memcached contents.
• Extension point: The package likely binds a Memcached instance in the container. You can override it via a service provider to set custom options (e.g. Memcached::OPT_COMPRESSION, timeouts) without forking the package.